Team Japeth was up by nine points against Team Mark with under 35 seconds remaining. The PBA All-Stars eventually ended in a stalemate in Bacolod.
"Ang sama ng laro ko!"
Robert Bolick admitted he wasn't really shooting well during a large part of the PBA All-Star Game in Bacolod on Sunday, March 24.
"Nag-layup ako, nag-miss pa!" He exclaimed to reporters after the match. "Kahit last year, 'di ako naka-shoot. Hinayaan siguro ng Panginoon."
"Sabi ni coach Jorge, 'Tumulong ka naman, tumira ka naman.' Nagkataon lang, ayun," he added.
The sharpshooter for the NLEX Road Warriors indeed delivered in the clutch.
Down by nine points with under 35 seconds remaining, Bolick posted up for a four-point shot for Team Mark.
Some 17 seconds later, he shot the ball from the four-point line before falling to the floor.
The lead was trimmed to just one, 140-139, much to the delight of the crowd inside the University of St. La Salle gym.
Under pressure to shoot, Bolick calmly sank the free throw to end the ball game at 140-all.
He doesn't feel like it's a win for Team Mark though.
"Tabla eh. Para sakin, wala. Akala ko may overtime," Bolick said. "At least maganda para sakin, ako nagpatabla."
At least, he says, Team Mark was able to make the comeback.
Bolick won the Co-MVP honors with Japeth Aguilar from the opposing team, but the Road Warrior believed it should be CJ Perez who was the real MVP for Team Mark.
"Binuhat kami ni CJ talaga," Bolick said of Perez, who erupted for 39 points. A huge chunk of that came in the second quarter, allowing Team Mark to come within striking distance come halftime.
So why is Bolick holding the MVP award when he's sharing the honors with Aguilar?
He actually asked to have it from his Kuya Japeth.
"Sabi ko, bigay mo na sakin 'yan. Dami no nang trophy," Berto recounted. "Thank you kay Japeth talaga, kuya ko yan nung World Cup."
He got more than a trophy. Bolick also got lessons he wouldn't have picked up anywhere else.
"Etong All-Star, eto talaga 'yung gusot kong mangyari. Kinakausap ko 'yung mga beterano, 'yung mga star player. Makikita mo 'yung work ethic nila, tinitignan ko kung ano style nila para mas mataas laro ko."